[Politics] Would YOU be happy to pay more income tax so OAPs could keep their fuel payments?

[Papak]

I know the mods are on a pretty decent salary here, but I'm not sure GB getting the elbow is going to save £22m!

It is billions, not millions.

 

[tigertim68]

If the government didn’t give away money to people who Have never contributed anything to this country, or who have never worked , and all the sicknotes there would be enough to give pensioners their winter fuel allowance

 

[Chicken Run]

If the government didn’t give away money to people who Have never contributed anything to this country, or who have never worked , and all the sicknotes there would be enough to give pensioners their winter fuel allowance

I would say there are plenty of pensioners who have never contributed anything to this country A quick look in Wisbech the other night on 24 hs in Police Custody was an example

 

[FIVESTEPS]

Once you take out the 1.5 million eligible plus those who will be claiming pension credit the sums are trivial add to that 7 out of 10 with a disability and 8 out of 10 over eighties who won't receive it does look like a awful own goal.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

I'm happy to pay more tax, but not for this. There are so many false narratives about this. Pensioners who really need it, should get the help - no question. But it has to be means-tested. What I don't like is that there's none of his controversy over all the shit the young have had to put up with - university fees, ridiculously high interest rates on Student Loans, sky high property prices etc.

I heard some thicko banging on about how the pensioners deserve the payment as they fought wars for us. Well my Dad is 80 next month... so was born in 1944. He wasn't even 1 year old when WWII ended, and he certainly didn't fight in the Falkands.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'm happy to pay more tax, but not for this. There are so many false narratives about this. Pensioners who really need it, should get the help - no question. But it has to be means-tested. What I don't like is that there's none of his controversy over all the shit the young have had to put up with - university fees, ridiculously high interest rates on Student Loans, sky high property prices etc.

I heard some thicko banging on about how the pensioners deserve the payment as they fought wars for us. Well my Dad is 80 next month... so was born in 1944. He wasn't even 1 year old when WWII ended, and he certainly didn't fight in the Falkands.

That seems to be a common narrative at the moment. National Service finished in 1960, so he wouldn’t have done that either.
99% of pensioners haven’t seen active service in any conflict.

There are some who are a pound or two a week above the Pension Credit limit who will struggle which is why I think the State pension should be higher, and energy prices lower, so no need for the WFA.

 

[Chicken Run]

I'm happy to pay more tax, but not for this. There are so many false narratives about this. Pensioners who really need it, should get the help - no question. But it has to be means-tested. What I don't like is that there's none of his controversy over all the shit the young have had to put up with - university fees, ridiculously high interest rates on Student Loans, sky high property prices etc.

I heard some thicko banging on about how the pensioners deserve the payment as they fought wars for us. Well my Dad is 80 next month... so was born in 1944. He wasn't even 1 year old when WWII ended, and he certainly didn't fight in the Falkands.

Slightly off topic but if youngsters are that hard done by with University fees and high interest rates on student loans why are there record numbers of young people year on year going to university?

According to the latest data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the percentage of 18-year-olds in England entering full-time higher education courses has steadily increased over the past two decades. In 2022, this figure reached 37.5%, representing the second-highest level on record.

 

[KZNSeagull]

No. There are loads of other ways that the government could raise £22bn. Wealth inequality in this country is the highest it has ever been apparently so there is a clue where it could come from. This would give the government the chance to implement a proper means testing system that could be used for many aspects of government spending including benefits, pensions and the NHS. Means testing has to be the way forward, they just need a proper way of doing it rather than using a benefit that people have to apply for that has a very low, cliff edge cut off.

Pensioners on £12k a year should not be filling this black hole, those with assets in the millions should be.

 

[Triggaaar]

There’s a £22 billion hole in our country’s finances that has to be filled somehow. So would you be prepared to see your income tax go up (let’s say by 2% on every band), so that pensioners not claiming pension credits (including those who currently donate it to charity) keep their WFP?

Would it really cost as much as 2% for all of us, on all bands? I'm amazed that's how much the WFP cost.

I would by the way. I’ve always believed those with more can and should pay more.

The issue is that a lot of pensioners don't need it and can easily afford to go without it, whereas there are many more people who are scraping by, who can't afford 2% on the basic rate of tax.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Prefer the government didn’t cave to all the demands to pay increases as soon as they came to power.

That didn’t help the deficit

 

[Washie]

Slightly off topic but if youngsters are that hard done by with University fees and high interest rates on student loans why are there record numbers of young people year on year going to university?

Because they're told by employers, society, school, government, boomers that Uni is the only way to get a good job or else we'll end up at Macdonalds (pay higher than some roles that require a degree).

 

[GT49er]

I think it is correct that the benefit should be means tested. There are pensioners who clearly need it and others (family members included) that really do not need it. I would pay more tax generally, not to fund this particular benefit though and can’t understand the obsession of reducing taxes when are services are clearly crumbling and in need of more funding.

Hear hear! As a pensioner who will be losing the winter fuel tax, I'm fully in favour of raising income tax by a penny or two in the pound, not to re-fund the fuel allowance for me, but to help mend all the things in the country that need to be mended.
And I do pay tax, so I'm not just asking for other people to pay more tax! (the state pension is not taxable, but it does use up virtually all of the tax-free allowance; I top it up with a couple of small work pensions, which are taxed)

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That seems to be a common narrative at the moment. National Service finished in 1960, so he wouldn’t have done that either.
99% of pensioners haven’t seen active service in any conflict.

There are some who are a pound or two a week above the Pension Credit limit who will struggle which is why I think the State pension should be higher, and energy prices lower, so no need for the WFA.

I'd like to see the government being more proactive in trying to trace those pensioners who qualify for Pension Credit but who don't claim it for whatever reason. The government seems to know the total number who qualify, but not the individuals. How does that work?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'd like to see the government being more proactive in trying to trace those pensioners who qualify for Pension Credit but who don't claim it for whatever reason. The government seems to know the total number who qualify, but not the individuals. How does that work?

National Insurance numbers.

 

[beorhthelm]

maybe if the £22bn was geninue, and not a political construction. there are also other, better, targets before income tax, notably pensions tax relief.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

National Insurance numbers.

Must be a bit more to it than that shirley else they could apply it automatically?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Hear hear!. As a pensioner who will be losing the winter fuel tax, I'm fully in favour of raising income tax by a penny or two in the pound, not to re-fund the fuel allowance for me, but to help mend all the things in the country that need to be mended.
And I do pay tax, so I'm not just asking for other people to pay more tax! (the state pension is not taxable, but it does use up virtually all of the tax-free allowance; I top it up with a couple of small work pensions, which are taxed)

I agree, and also raising the tax threshold. The £300 is £5 a week so could be covered that way.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

It would be interesting if everyone had a lifetime balance sheet showing direct taxes / NI paid and “cash benefits” received. A totally no blame exercise as there are those that cannot work and deserve all the help they can get, but I think this might open some people’s eyes.

 

[stewart12]

Slightly off topic but if youngsters are that hard done by with University fees and high interest rates on student loans why are there record numbers of young people year on year going to university?

According to the latest data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the percentage of 18-year-olds in England entering full-time higher education courses has steadily increased over the past two decades. In 2022, this figure reached 37.5%, representing the second-highest level on record.

Quite simply a huge amount of potential careers require degrees and opportunities for apprenticeships etc have diminished. Plenty of the more vocational degrees could be apprenticeships but aren't

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Must be a bit more to it than that shirley else they could apply it automatically?

Benefits have to be claimed so the claimant can be checked.